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To wrap up the week, here’s this Friday’s News Roundup. Have a great Labor Day Weekend, everyone!
Seattle is lining-up to become the first US city to charge for all types of disposable shopping bag. The measure follows the lead of many European nations and the plastic-bag ban in US cities like San Francisco. The move would be an important measure in encouraging consumers to think about paying for the use of a disposable bag, but Seattle voters may have a chance in the coming months to repeal the legislation, which is otherwise set to go into effect January 2009: City OKs 20-cent fee on plastic, paper bags | Seattle’s Bag-User Fee Spurs Backlash | Seattle voters may end up with last word on bag fee
No more than a month after threats emerged from five US states to sue the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) over lack of emissions regulations from ships, aircrafts and off-road vehicles, the EPA is again under fire from twelve US states who plan to sue against further violations of the Clean Air Act in their failure to regulate emissions from oil refineries: E.P.A. Sued by 12 States to Regulate Oil Refineries | States Sue EPA Over Refinery Emissions
Multiple speakers at the Democratic National Convention this week have highlighted the importance of securing a more sustainable energy economy for the US, and declare Barack Obama as the major-party presidential candidate for the job: The best set of videos, interviews, articles and more highlighting the environmental-focus at the convention can be found within Grist’s stories about the Democratic National Convention
The US Senate this week failed to move forward the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008 (H.R.6049), a bill that would provide renewable energy incentives and carbon mitigation provisions. Introduced to and passed by the House in May of this year, the bill has since been at a standstill in the Senate despite majority support, with a third vote on Tuesday falling just 9 votes short what would have been needed to to move forward with legislation. Fortunately, the bill can again be brought to a vote, though not before a month-long August recess beginning tomorrow.
With more voices coming forward in support of the clean and efficient energy use that this and other stalled bills would promote (Al Gore’s voice as one of them, calling for 100% renewable energy in the US by the year 2018), and with evidence rising that our current energy practices are unsustainable, I sincerely hope that come September working on solutions for these issues will take higher priority within Congress, and that conscientious voters will make their voices heard in November that we want new leadership that will take environmental stewardship seriously and work with us to find solutions to our unsustainable practices.
Meanwhile, some groups are taking action based on the call for emissions-free energy, such as the proposed 909 MW Shepherd’s Flat Wind Farm of north-central Oregon and the proposed 2,000 MW TransWest Express Project wind farm in Wyoming. Co-op America has issued a call for the generation of 10% of the total US energy from solar power by 2025, a goal that their research indicates is very realistic, and grist explains the booming job market in the wind power industry.
With Congress at a standstill, however, and renewable energy generation dependent on investors, what can individuals do in their everyday lives to jump-start our energy future? I won’t pretend to have the answer to this, and I’d love to hear your thoughts, but I will propose two things:
(1) Even with more renewable energy generation from wind, solar and other innovative ideas, most people in the US are using more energy than sustainably available. Lifestyle changes will need to coincide with the generation of more renewable energy, and those changes can start now with CFL and LED light bulbs, energy-efficient appliances, turning off and unplugging electronics when not in use, challenging yourself along with friends and family to go one day a month “unplugged” from the grid and from that challenge finding a way to permanently remove some of your unnecessary energy consumption.
(2) Make your voice heard: Talk to friends and family about reducing energy consumption; tell your congresspersons that you support bills such as the Renewable Energy and Job Creation Act of 2008; contact your utility company to see what steps they’re taking to invest in renewable energy for the future; think about what you support and what you want in your life and make purchases based on those ideals to make your money speak to corporations.
Again this Friday is a list of a few headlines from the week:
Judge Returns Gray Wolves to Endangered List
Postal Service Takes Lead In Going Green
Mississippi River Reopened after Oil Spill
Western states unveil draft cap-and-trade scheme
Add your own to the comments, and have a great weekend!
So much news is being published about environmentalism and climate change these days that I couldn’t possibly keep up with it if I tried to write about it all, so I’ve decided that Fridays are probably a great time to post a brief roundup of relevant news headlines from the week that I’ve come across or have been forwarded to me.
Monday, July 14:
- Bush Lifts Drilling Moratorium, Prodding Congress
- Candidates Weigh In on Offshore Drilling
Tuesday, July 15:
- Country, the City Version: Farms in the Sky Gain New Interest (thanks to “srw” for the link)
- Wildlife: A Luxury we can live without?
Wednesday, July 16:
- Amory Lovins: Expanding Nuclear Power Makes Climate Change Worse
- A Prophetic Approach to Energy Efficiency
Thursday, July 17:
- Gore: Reliance on Fossil Fuels Poses Threat to U.S.
- Pope says young inheriting scarred, squandered earth
Friday, July 18:
- Climate change puts U.S. way of life at risk: EPA
Have a great weekend, everyone! Give the A/C a break for a couple days while you do something fun outside!
